³ May the Lord silence all flattering lips^(D)
    and every boastful tongue—^(E)
4 those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;^(F)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

⁵ “Because the poor are plundered^(G) and the needy groan,^(H)
    I will now arise,^(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them^(J) from those who malign them.”
⁶ And the words of the Lord are flawless,^(K)
    like silver purified^(L) in a crucible,^(M)
    like gold^[c] refined seven times.

⁷ You, Lord, will keep the needy safe^(N)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,^(O)
8 who freely strut^(P) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?^(N)
    Why so disturbed^(O) within me?
Put your hope in God,^(P)
    for I will yet praise^(Q) him,
    my Savior^(R) and my God.^(S)

⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember^(T) you
from the land of the Jordan,^(U)
    the heights of Hermon^(V)—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep^(W)
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.^(X)

⁸ By day the Lord directs his love,^(Y)
    at night^(Z) his song^(AA) is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.^(AB)

⁹ I say to God my Rock,^(AC)
    “Why have you forgotten^(AD) me?
Why must I go about mourning,^(AE)
    oppressed^(AF) by the enemy?”^(AG)
10 My bones suffer mortal agony^(AH)
    as my foes taunt^(AI) me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”^(AJ)

¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
    Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
    for I will yet praise him,
    my Savior and my God.^(AK)

³ May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴ May he defend the afflicted^(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;^(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.^(E)
5 May he endure^[a](F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.^(G)
6 May he be like rain^(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷ In his days may the righteous flourish^(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸ May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River^[b](J) to the ends of the earth.^(K)
9 May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰ May the kings of Tarshish^(L) and of distant shores^(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba^(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.^(O)
11 May all kings bow down^(P) to him
    and all nations serve^(Q) him.

¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³ He will take pity^(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
¹⁴ He will rescue^(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious^(T) is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵ Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba^(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.^(V)
16 May grain^(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops^(X) flourish like Lebanon^(Y)
    and thrive^[c] like the grass of the field.^(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;^(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.^(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[d]
    and they will call him blessed.^(AC)

¹⁸ Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^(AD)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.^(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name^(AF) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^(AG)
Amen and Amen.^(AH)

²⁰ This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.^(AI)

³ For my days vanish like smoke;^(E)
    my bones^(F) burn like glowing embers.
⁴ My heart is blighted and withered like grass;^(G)
    I forget to eat my food.^(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud^(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
⁶ I am like a desert owl,^(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
⁷ I lie awake;^(K) I have become
    like a bird alone^(L) on a roof.
⁸ All day long my enemies^(M) taunt me;^(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.^(O)
9 For I eat ashes^(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears^(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,^(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
¹¹ My days are like the evening shadow;^(S)
    I wither^(T) away like grass.

¹² But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;^(U)
    your renown endures^(V) through all generations.^(W)
13 You will arise^(X) and have compassion^(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time^(Z) to show favor^(AA) to her;
    the appointed time^(AB) has come.
¹⁴ For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
¹⁵ The nations will fear^(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings^(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
¹⁶ For the Lord will rebuild Zion^(AE)
    and appear in his glory.^(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer^(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸ Let this be written^(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created^(AI) may praise the Lord:
¹⁹ “The Lord looked down^(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
²⁰ to hear the groans of the prisoners^(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
²¹ So the name of the Lord will be declared^(AL) in Zion
    and his praise^(AM) in Jerusalem
²² when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship^(AN) the Lord.

²³ In the course of my life^[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.^(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on^(AP) through all generations.
²⁵ In the beginning^(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens^(AR) are the work of your hands.^(AS)
26 They will perish,^(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
²⁷ But you remain the same,^(AU)
    and your years will never end.^(AV)
28 The children of your servants^(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants^(AX) will be established before you.”

² He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:^(C)
3 “I will not enter my house^(D)
    or go to my bed,
⁴ I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵ till I find a place^(E) for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶ We heard it in Ephrathah,^(F)
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:^[a](G)
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place,^(H)
    let us worship at his footstool,^(I) saying,
⁸ ‘Arise, Lord,^(J) and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
⁹ May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;^(K)
    may your faithful people^(L) sing for joy.’”

¹⁰ For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.

¹¹ The Lord swore an oath to David,^(M)
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants^(N)
    I will place on your throne.
¹² If your sons keep my covenant^(O)
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne^(P) for ever and ever.”

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion,^(Q)
    he has desired it for his dwelling,^(R) saying,
¹⁴ “This is my resting place for ever and ever;^(S)
    here I will sit enthroned,^(T) for I have desired it.
¹⁵ I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.^(U)
16 I will clothe her priests^(V) with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.^(W)

¹⁷ “Here I will make a horn^[b] grow^(X) for David
    and set up a lamp^(Y) for my anointed one.^(Z)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,^(AA)
    but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”^(AB)

12 Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge,
    but whoever hates correction is stupid.^(A)

² Good people obtain favor from the Lord,^(B)
    but he condemns those who devise wicked schemes.^(C)

³ No one can be established through wickedness,
    but the righteous cannot be uprooted.^(D)

⁴ A wife of noble character^(E) is her husband’s crown,
    but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.^(F)

⁵ The plans of the righteous are just,
    but the advice of the wicked is deceitful.

⁶ The words of the wicked lie in wait for blood,
    but the speech of the upright rescues them.^(G)

⁷ The wicked are overthrown and are no more,^(H)
    but the house of the righteous stands firm.^(I)

⁸ A person is praised according to their prudence,
    and one with a warped^(J) mind is despised.

⁹ Better to be a nobody and yet have a servant
    than pretend to be somebody and have no food.

¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals,^(K)
    but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹ Those who work their land will have abundant food,
    but those who chase fantasies have no sense.^(L)

¹² The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers,
    but the root of the righteous endures.

¹³ Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,^(M)
    and so the innocent escape trouble.^(N)

¹⁴ From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,^(O)
    and the work of their hands brings them reward.^(P)

¹⁵ The way of fools seems right to them,^(Q)
    but the wise listen to advice.^(R)

¹⁶ Fools^(S) show their annoyance at once,^(T)
    but the prudent overlook an insult.^(U)

¹⁷ An honest witness tells the truth,
    but a false witness tells lies.^(V)

¹⁸ The words of the reckless pierce like swords,^(W)
    but the tongue of the wise brings healing.^(X)

¹⁹ Truthful lips endure forever,
    but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.

²⁰ Deceit is in the hearts of those who plot evil,
    but those who promote peace have joy.^(Y)

²¹ No harm overtakes the righteous,^(Z)
    but the wicked have their fill of trouble.

²² The Lord detests lying lips,^(AA)
    but he delights^(AB) in people who are trustworthy.^(AC)

²³ The prudent keep their knowledge to themselves,^(AD)
    but a fool’s heart blurts out folly.^(AE)

²⁴ Diligent hands will rule,
    but laziness ends in forced labor.^(AF)

²⁵ Anxiety weighs down the heart,^(AG)
    but a kind word cheers it up.

²⁶ The righteous choose their friends carefully,
    but the way of the wicked leads them astray.^(AH)

²⁷ The lazy do not roast^[a] any game,
    but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

²⁸ In the way of righteousness there is life;^(AI)
    along that path is immortality.